


They were bleeding out

by TerresDeBrume



Series: Rumor Has It (We're all selfish morons) [12]
Category: The Avengers (2012)
Genre: Alternate Universe, M/M, Newspapers, Wakes & Funerals
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-10-24
Updated: 2012-10-24
Packaged: 2017-11-16 23:36:29
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 687
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/545061
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TerresDeBrume/pseuds/TerresDeBrume
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Peter knows he can’t say everything in his article.</p><p>That doesn’t prevent him from writing some of it the first draft.</p>
            </blockquote>





	They were bleeding out

_After the end of service, friends of the late Dr. Selvig were invited to join a small commemorating dinner at Ms. Lewis’ house. The room was small, the guests huddled together but no protest was uttered aloud. As a journalist I was, understandably, kept at the edge of the reception, as nobody really feels like talking to a stranger in such circumstances, but this also allowed for a better general view._  
  
 _People like to think that times of mourning makes them close, makes them one, but the truth is that there are few times when we are more isolated than during funerals. In these moments, people isolate in small groups, keep together with the loved ones they haven’t lost yet, trying to avoid all other problems… but the thing is, life doesn’t stop for mourners. No matter how much pain you are already in, there will always be something worse._  
  
  
 _Thus, I was able to observe Mr. Stark dropping a salmon roll on his tie and almost cry when it appeared he wouldn’t be able to take the cream out by himself -Mrs. Rogers-Potts, a friend of his, had to redirect him to the bathroom. At roughly the same time, Mr. Laufeyson excused himself from Dr. Banner -Dr. Selvig’s long-time protégé- and his companion’s company in order to use the bathroom._  
 _Wanting a word with Mr. Laufeyson, I resolved to follow him upstair and wait until he finished using the bathroom -such methods are not my favorite, but a journalist has to get his information._  
  
 _The first floor looked empty when I reached it, except for the voices floating from the bathroom._  
  
 _“—hate more than you and it’s your father.” I recognized Mr. Laufeyson’s voice. “We wouldn’t be in this situation without him.”_  
 _“It has nothing to do with Howard,” Mr. Stark answered. “I can’t do that to Thor!”_  
 _“Oh please,” Mr. Laufeyson stressed the word, “like hell it has nothing to do with him! Thor isn’t your reason here, Tony, he’s your excuse and you know it! What would you say if I was single, uh? That you’re not made for this kind of relationship? That you don’t deserve me? Look at me for fuck’s sake!”_  
  
 _Mr. Laufeyson was shouting by then. I doubt he realized everyone downstairs had fallen silent._  
  
 _“Do you really think I’m such a gift?” He continued, “Me? Come on, you know me better than that! I’m an ex-junkie, I’m selfish, I’m a liar and a hypocrite, and please don’t get me started on my moodswings! Do you really think you don’t even deserve the broken toys?”_  
 _“But you’re married!” Mr. Stark shouted._  
 _“Well I’ll get a divorce then!”_  
 _“What about your kid?”_  
 _“I can be Sleipnir’s Dad without being Thor’s husband!” Mr. Laufeyson countered, his voice dropping back to a normal volume. “Just say the word and I’ll fill the paper tonight.”_  
  
 _The silence that followed was the longest, most awkward one I’d ever witnessed._  
  
 _“But you won’t,” Mr. Laufeyson said. A pause, and then he added: “One day you will realize that I am not, in fact, a gift, let alone a prize for good conduct. Come find me then.”_  
  
 _It is only when Mr. Laufeyson came out of the bathroom and paused with eyes widened in surprise that I realized Mr. Odinson was behind me, pale with traces of tears on his cheeks._  
 _The spouses looked at each other for a fleeting moment, until Mr. Laufeyson broke eye contact and ran downstairs to the main door, Dr. Banner close behind him._  
 _I heard a car driving off on the gravel as Mr. Odinson made his way back to the crowd, where he was met with the hurried and forced buzz of conversations brought back to life by embarrassment._  
  
 _In the bathroom, the lock clicked shut and water started running, muffling the sounds of someone sobbing._  
  
  
“Peter,” Mary Jane says when he picks up the phone, the day after he sent his article in, “you can’t put that in a newspaper.”  
“I know,” he answers, “It’s just that I can’t survive a tragedy if you don’t share it with me.”


End file.
